Willow
by NorseFan1
Summary: "Falling in love with mortals was something Thor would do. But perhaps this was one thing they shared. Falling in love with a mortal who had the ability to change them." A series of oneshots on the life of Willow Potter and Loki Odinson, after the first Avengers. Not necessarily in order. I already have a few on AO3.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

To the world, she was an undefeated pillar of strength. The Saviour of the Wizarding World, Defeater of the Dark Lord Voldemort. Lady Potter, unflinching when faced with adversary, commander of the light forces during the last war and a figure head in the wizarding parliament. But everyone had their weaknesses. Even if most did not see them. He had seen hers. At first he had thought to manipulate her through hers, but slowly she had changed him. The curiosity had been first. She was strong, yet had been in an abusive marriage, only just standing up to her husband and leaving after several years when he had met him. She had suffered heartbreak and pain yet had willingly allowed him into her home when he had been cast into Midgard as punishment for what he had done and shown him kindness. Willow Potter had been an enigma. They had brought her pain and she had saved them and continued to do what she could to help, even if it was just presenting the image they needed to see.

After a while, the curiosity had changed into something else. Like everything within him, it had both a dark and light side. The mindless sheep of the wizarding world did not deserve her. He had sensed the power she held deep within her, and seen everything about her. The kindness, the stubbornness, the curiosity, the thirst for knowledge, and also the brokenness within her, the tiredness of fighting and preforming. He would have used that to his own advantage, but as he began to see her in a new light, he had wanted to hide her away from the pathetic mortals who believed she owed them something and keep her to himself, protecting her from them breaking her any more than they already had. But he knew keeping her locked away from her life would have broken her further, so had to restrain himself.

So he took a different route. He told her about his home, painted a picture in her head of it, while gaining more than her kindness. It took a while, but she fell in love with him, forgetting about her ex-husband. She came into his arms and bed willingly and he realised he had begun to crave this mortal witch. She was everything he had looked for in a partner. Strong enough to stand up to him, and stand by him, and against enemies, but also she needed him. She needed him to be there when the nightmares woke her screaming and shaking, believing the horrors of her past were coming back for her. She needed him to protect her. She was by no means a woman who needed to be saved from everything, but she needed him just as, over time, he had come to need her. He would never admit that to anyone. He could not appear to be weak- he knew he had enemies. Which was why she needed to be strong. Her weaknesses only displayed themselves in private, when she was sure no one but he and a few select others were there. Anyone who targeted her in the hopes of getting to him would receive a shock.

And then his exile ended. At first, he did not know why, but then he realised how she in turn had changed him. She had a need to protect the innocent, and he knew if he attempted to take over the world again, she would fight it, to protect those who needed protection. Those who could not fight for themselves. Her own losses had made him realise what he had in comparison too. He may not be the favoured son, but his parents still cared for him, and were still there. She had lost her parents at a young age and been treated like a slave. What right did he have to do the things he had done under the banner of mistreatment, when she had done none of those things, yet been treated far worse?

But he could not go back. Not then. Not without her. When his brother had arrived and told him, rather joyfully, that he could go home, Willow had smiled at him and said she hoped he would visit, before retreating to her homes library. That had been their biggest fight to date; him thinking that somehow she had fooled him, and had not really cared about him at all. She had looked so hurt and broken when he said that, and silence had fallen between them until she had said that she thought he had wanted to go home. Of course she loved him, but it had been stupid of her to let herself fall like that when she had always known he would leave. She was after all, only a mortal. She thought he wanted to go home. He had always spoken of it so fondly. But what place would a mortal have there?

She had not realised he had described it in such detail for her to ensure she would come with him when he asked. He told her that it was possible for mortals judged worthy to become immortal. Bitterly she had asked what chance she would get, she was nothing special. He had listed everything she had done fighting the man who had killed her parents and countless others, and then he had realised she had said she loved him. It was the first time she had said it. And how had it taken him so long to realise that he had grown to love her in return? A thing he had sworn he would never do. Falling in love with mortals was something Thor would do. But perhaps this was one thing they shared. Falling in love with a mortal who had the ability to change them. Make them see the world through the eyes of those whose lives were so fleeting that they had no choice but to change really. It was something of an eye opener. Finally, at the end of the long list, he had said the one thing that mattered to him, the one reason he wanted her to become immortal. He loved her too, and wanted her at his side for the rest of eternity. Thor must have believed the silence meant they had killed each other, as he had come to check everything was alright. They had probably succeeded in scarring him mentally for the rest of his long life. He had told Thor he was not returning unless Willow could come with him.

Two days later, Thor had returned saying that Willow had been allowed to come. Also, not that he told Willow, that their father was looking at Willow's life and judging whether she was worthy of immortality. He did not doubt she would be granted it. She had fought bravely since she was eleven, when she did not need to. She had even sacrificed herself for those who did not deserve her (perhaps a couple of them did) and through it all had remained steadfast. She had displayed qualities his people honoured and respected. He was confident she would be given the chance to be with him forever.

When she had first seen his home she had been awed at it, and he knew she had instantly felt far more comfortable there than she had anywhere else, because people had not stared and whispered about things she may never had never asked for. Or about rumours spread about her. But they had wondered about the mortal who had captured his attention, and to her that was far different. She was sure that would pass with time, and she was right. Willow had gotten along well with his mother and Jane, who had recently been granted immortality. The previously mortal woman could obviously keep Thor level headed. She was just what he needed to help him become the man he had to be to one day become king. She had also gotten along well with Sif, promising to spar with her if she was allowed immortality.

When his father informed him he would allow Willow the same immortality as the rest of their people, he had immediately sought her out in the library. It had been sunset at the time, and he took her to one of the highest points in the palace, where they could see the sun setting over the golden city. There, he had proposed to her, ensuring everything was perfect, and she had accepted him, but had said that if she was not granted immortality, she understood they could not be together. That had been when he had told her she would soon be made immortal. They had not gotten much sleep that night, and it seemed they would get even less tonight.

She was beautiful in the white gown made especially for her. It had straps and fell to the floor, and had green silk lace at the front. Her veil had fallen almost to the floor, but had not covered her face, and small gold flowers had been a part of the circlet around her head. She had not hesitated once when she said her vows and the glittering cord been wrapped round their joined hands, her green eyes sparkling with happiness as she looked into his. The feast had come and gone, and now he was determined to drive all her memories of her past failed marriage from her mind permanently. Willow was his now, and that mortal had no place in her life any longer.

As he removed the veil from her head and began unlacing her dress, Willow had reached up and caressed his cheek. "Loki?"

He smiled at her gently. She sounded nervous about something. "Yes?"

"I want children." She said. He felt his heart soar. This alone showed her willingness to forget the mortal boy, Ron Weasley. She had never wanted children with him, sneaking contraceptive potion when he was not around to ensure they did not conceive. She had always believed it a mistake to marry him, and had never wanted any children inflicted with any pain that would undoubtedly come from her mistake, even though she had always longed for a family of her own.

"We can have as many as you want." He said, before his lips descended hungrily on hers. He had no need to prevent getting her pregnant now and he relished in it. He finished unlacing her dress, and felt her hands making quick work of his armour. Soon, they were both naked and he placed her gently on the bed, intending to savour every moment of the night with her. They were no strangers to each other's bodies and pleasures, but tonight was different. Now they were married, and planned on children. The saying 'a whole new light' came to mind.

As Willow tried to pull him down to her he smirked and waved his hand, and silk ties had her wrists tied to the bed posts. He moved slowly down her body, kissing her and caressing her, enjoying feeling her move beneath him, trying to encourage him to move faster. He looked up and met her eyes, smirking mischievously. "There is no amount of begging or persuasion that will make me go quicker tonight, love. I intend to ravish you completely, and at my own pace. The only thing you can do is relax and enjoy it." He returned to kissing her body until he got to her legs. He dipped his head between them and lightly nipped her inner thigh, causing her to moan, before he slowly licked her folds. She writhed under him as he continued his administrations, often calling out his name. When she came, he swallowed as much as he could, before moving back up her body slowly, giving her a chance to come down. He wanted her aware of what he was doing after all. He kissed her neck before beginning to suck on it, determined to leave a mark there. Her legs wrapped round his waist and he smiled against her skin briefly before once more capturing her mouth with his, and then entering her slowly. He willed the bonds around her wrists to disappear and she wrapped her arms round his shoulders, her hands tangling in his hair, and she bucked beneath him, taking him fully inside herself. He bit her lip lightly before his tongue entered her mouth, and battled with hers, winning quickly. She moaned into him as he hit her sweet spot and kept on hitting it. They moved together until she came, screaming his name, which was shortly followed by him spilling inside her and calling hers. For a while, they lay entwined on the bed, catching their breath and coming down from the ecstasy of pleasure, until they decided round two was very much on the agenda.

It was late the following morning when they had both woken up. He had woken first and lightly traced his hand over her currently flat stomach. "What are you doing Loki?" She murmured, still half asleep.

"You are going to be radiant when pregnant with my child. I cannot wait." It would be yet another sign she was his.

She smiled, her eyes half lidded. "Then we'd better continue where we left off last night."

He kissed her deeply. "You are mine. Forever."

"Forever." She agreed, her tone was filled with love, and not a single hint of regret. "We are each other's."

* * *

 **A/N: What do you think?**


	2. March to December

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

 **March to December**

It must have happened in the final days of March, she thought, as she stood in front of the full length mirror, examining herself. At least, if what Eir estimated was true, it had been late March. And Willow highly doubted Eir was inaccurate. There were no outward signs on her body, not yet. It was far too early to see anything outwardly. How would she tell him? She didn't doubt he would be delighted with the news, but it had come as a shock to her. He hadn't even known she was going to see Eir, so how could she tell Loki this, without him jumping to conclusions on her health? It wasn't something you could just blurt out.

Willow heard the door to their rooms opening and pushed her top down, to hide her stomach. Loki would know something was up if he caught her examining her stomach in front of the mirror. He entered the bedroom and she saw he was frowning.

"What's wrong?" She asked, walking over to him.

"I could ask you the same question. Sif saw you going to the healing rooms. Is something wrong?" He wrapped his arms round her waist and pulled her into him.

"Nothing is wrong." Willow answered softly. "I was feeling slightly unwell, and went for a check-up. I decided not to worry you, just in case it was simply a passing thing. Like I said, nothing is wrong, but you might want to sit down."

"If nothing is wrong, then why do I need to sit down?"

"I'm pregnant." She told him.

He stared at her for a moment, before she suddenly found herself being spun round, and felt his lips on hers. When he placed her back on the floor, his hand came to rest on her stomach, a grin on his face. "Does Eir know what the child will be?" He asked.

"It's still too early." Willow said, shaking her head and smiling.

"How long have you been pregnant?"

"Eir reckons it's been a month. The baby should be here late December."

"A month?" He thought that over and then smirked. "Now I remember."

"Remember what?" She asked.

"It was breakfast, and I had you over the table, if I remember correctly."

She rolled her eyes. "Trust you to think back on which time we had sex is the most likely one to have gotten me pregnant." She lightly slapped the top of his arm. "Now, are we going to go tell anyone or what?"

"Not yet." He said, his lips descending onto her neck, arms tightening around her before he pulled her to the bed. "I want to celebrate."

* * *

Thor had dragged Loki away to get drunk with the Warrior's Three in celebration when they told him about the baby. Willow stayed with Jane, Frigga and Sif, knowing it wouldn't be good to drink while pregnant, and she wouldn't want a hangover anyway.

"I guess this puts an end to our training sessions then?" Sif asked.

"For now, yes." Willow said. "Until the baby's here and I have the time to spar again, at least."

"Yes, it would be best not to risk injuring the child." Frigga nodded. "While the child will be stronger than a mortal child, even now, best not to tempt it."

"You're going to have to start getting baby things." Jane said, smiling.

"That will be easily arranged." Frigga said, smiling.

They spent the day talking, even though Sif would normally have gone with the men, she had also decided not to risk the hangover that would follow. That evening, Loki came through the door, his footing unsteady. He knocked over a coffee table as he went to walk back to the door to close it as he had let it open wide and stay there as he had all but fallen into the room.

Willow couldn't believe the state on him, and had to hold back the nerves at the sight of him. She remembered that Ron had always been unbearable when he was drunk. She had never seen Loki drunk before, so she had no clue as to how he would be. She swallowed, eyes wide and completely panicked. She fled into the bedroom and then into the bathroom, quietly closing and locking the door. She sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall facing the door, heart hammering and straining to listen. Willow heard Loki enter the bedroom and heard the 'thump' that signified he had collapsed onto the bed. She didn't make a sound, not wanting to alert him to her presence in the bathroom. She eventually drifted off, curled up on the bathroom floor, having pulled a towel around her.

* * *

Willow woke, hearing her name being called. She opened her eyes to see Loki hovering above her, worry on his face.

"Willow, my love? What is wrong?"

"Loki?" She asked, and then remembered the previous night. "Oh."

He helped her sit up. "Why were you sleeping in here?"

"When you came back drunk, I panicked. I realised I'd never seen you drunk before and I just started to remember how Ron was, so I shut myself in here."

He pulled her into him. "I would never hurt you. I give you my word; I will never lay so much as a finger on you in a harmful way. I am not that mortal boy."

"I thought I was over what he did completely. I guess I was wrong."

"He will never hurt you again." Loki promised.

* * *

Over the months, Willow discovered that she only had two cravings. Chocolate and the apples of Iduna. Loki made sure she had enough of both to keep her happy, knowing her mood swings were generally triggered if her cravings weren't satisfied. It wasn't until she had begun to show that she once again set foot on her home world, to visit her friends.  
She and Loki went to visit Hermione and George first. When she knocked, Hermione answered, her three year old daughter Emma poking out behind her legs.

"Willow! Loki!" She immediately hugged Willow. "Come in!" Hermione picked up her daughter and moved to the side, letting them in. She gasped when she noticed the bump. The top Willow was wearing was loose enough for her to be comfortable, but fitted enough to show the bump. "Congratulations! George! Come here!"

"We have guests?" He asked, coming down the stairs. His face lit up when he saw them. "Oh hey! Wait, is that a bump I see?"

"Yeah." Willow smiled, placing her hands on the bump, and felt her husband's arms wrap round her waist.

"Are you having a baby?" Emma asked looking at the bump.

Both of them smiled down at her. "Yes, we are." Willow answered her.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"We don't know yet, and won't for a while." Loki answered this time.

"When the baby comes, can I read to them and play with them?"

"Of course you can Emma," Willow smiled at the three year old who she thought was absolutely adorable.

The group decided to go to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch, and Hermione sent an owl with messages to others to meet them there. When they got to the pub, Luna and Neville were already there, and it wasn't long until Fleur also joined them, with seven year old Victorie.

"Bill sends ees apologies but was called to ze bank." She said, after kissing both Willow and Loki on both cheeks in her usual greeting.

"That's alright," replied Willow, "the goblins are real task masters. I know that much."

Desert had just been finished when Willow got up to go to the toilet. She didn't make it there, however, as she was pulled into a shadowed alcove and slammed against the wall. She felt pain flare through her back and her eyes went wide and her breath left her.

"How dare you come back here you little slut? And with that bastard's filth growing inside you!" Ron's face was red with anger. Under normal circumstances, faced with her ex-husband and past tormentor, Willow would have frozen up, but now, the first thing that came to mind was her unborn child. Loki's unborn child. The baby she already loved with all her heart. And Ron was currently a threat to her child. Especially with that steak knife… wait knife?!

"You denied me a child yet you give him one. How's he any better than me? He's not. In fact, he's worse. He's some sort of dark creature, and so is his spawn."

Loki had taught her quite a bit, and throwing him away from her with magic commanded at barely a twitch of her wrist was one of them. Ron hit the wall with a satisfying 'thump'.

"You won't hurt my child. And you can no longer hurt me. This was your last mistake." With that, she hurried away, back to where her husband and friends were, trying not to shake, and her arms wrapped protectively around her stomach.

They all noticed something was wrong immediately. "Can we just go? I want to go home. I'll tell you what happened there." She promised Loki.

He sighed. "Very well." Someone had hurt her, he knew. And whoever it was would pay. She just didn't want too big a scene made of it.

They said their farewells to everyone and headed for the Bifrost. "I need to go see Eir. Just to be sure. I don't want to risk him having caused any damage to the baby."

Loki's face darkened and he snarled. "How badly did this man hurt you?"

She rested her hand lightly on his cheek and smiled softly. "Not too badly, I promise. I just want to be on the safe side of things."

His face softened as he looked at her. "Very well. We will go and see Eir and then you will tell me what happened."

It didn't take long for them to get home and visit Eir, who soon proclaimed that not only was she alright, but so were both children. Willow almost fainted at that and Eir nodded and smiled. "Yes, My Lady, I sense two developing children now. Twins. Congratulations."

Loki let out a laugh at the thought. He had been happy enough with one, but now they were having two! His wife kept surprising and amazing him. When they were finally back in their chambers, Loki sat down and pulled Willow onto his lap. "Now, my beautiful wife, tell me the name of the man who dared lay a finger on you and what he did exactly and I will make him rue the day that he was born."

"It was Ron." She said, before quickly launching into the account of what had happened. By the end she was trembling lightly. "He almost killed our babies."

"Hush now love. He cannot touch you or them now. He will never so much as speak to you again." His arms tightened around her. "I will make him pay for this. But for now, I will make you forget that he ever even existed, my love. Only when it is my name alone that falls from your lips, will I leave you just this night and never again after. Because… Once I'm done with you, I will be ridding him of every pleasantry he has had with you. He will regret his actions. Oh, he will be alive, but he will plead with me to end his miserable existence. I swear to you, that before this night is over, your heart will be whole once again."

* * *

It was dark when he appeared in the flat his wife used to share with that pathetic mortal. It was trashed, with bottles everywhere along with other pieces of rubbish. Ron Weasley sat on the sofa a glass of whiskey in his hand, obviously still angry from earlier.

With a quick spell Loki ensured the flat was silenced. No one outside would hear what happened inside. He waved his hand and Ron was thrown to the floor and knocked unconscious. He conjured a wooden arm chair and chained Ron to it before he woke him up with a blast of ice. The pathetic boy jerked awake, gasping.

"Wh-who's there?"

"You do not recognise me?" He stood in-front of the red head, dressed in his full armour, helm and cloak included. "I am shocked; after all, I was the one who made an amazing gain at your loss when Willow divorced you. You must be blind not to realise how wonderful a woman she is. Truly beautiful in all ways. And you just threw her away, like she was nothing."

"She left me."

"And a good choice that was too. You did not deserve her. You do not even deserve to know her. I have waited for quite some time to get this chance, and you provided me with it earlier when you attacked my wife. I suppose you will not be glad to know that both she and the twins are fine. They are growing strong," he held a knife against Ron's throat. "And she grows more beautiful every day as they, *my* children, grow within her."

"I was right. You are a dark creature. I would have done the world a service by killing your spawn," Ron was cut off as the knife dug into his throat.

"Be careful how you speak, mortal. Or I might cut out your tongue. Actually that is not a bad idea. But not yet. You see, I am terribly vindictive. Especially when it comes to those who try to take what is precious to me. My wife, my children- they are precious to me. Yggdrasil itself would burn should anything happen to them. As it is, today it is only you who will be at the receiving end of my temper, and I have had quite some time to think up things to do with you. Do not worry; we have all the time in the world- the silencing spells around this hovel will see to that. I think we should start with the nails, do you not agree?" Loki moved the knife and placed it under Ron's thumb nail, before applying pressure and pushing the nail up. Ron screamed as the nail began to separate from his thumb.

A while later, Ron was crying and already begging for mercy after all his nails, on both hands and feet, had been removed.

"You truly are pathetic, to be begging so soon. We have only just begun the fun. Surely you do not want it to end? Now, what next? Oh, I know- you practically raped Willow when you were married," the knife point came to rest lightly above Ron's crotch, the jeans the only thing separating the knife from his balls. "How about I take that from you next?"

The next day, Ron was found and taken to Saint Mungos. The pool of blood he'd been found in had been worryingly large, but some spell had been keeping him alive- and in pain. He had been castrated and his hands had been slowly carved down to stubs. His tongue had also been cut out, and so had his eye balls and there were runes carved into his skin along his body. On the wall, written in his blood, was a message.

'He used his tongue, hands, cock and magic to abuse and he has paid the price, and will continue to for the rest of his life, and after life."

Later tests found that no magic could regrow what Ron had lost and artificial magical prosthetics also failed to work for him. Another worrying discovery was that the runes wouldn't go away, no matter what the healers tried, and the runes were preventing him from accessing his magic. He was a squib. What no one, except Ron and Loki, knew was that there were runes branded onto his very soul, which would send him straight to Hel once he died.

* * *

Willow woke up to find herself wrapped in Loki's arms. She smiled up at him. "What time did you get back? I didn't hear you come in."

He smiled. "It was late and you were exhausted. You did not stir once. Now, come here, you look ravishing this morning and I intend to enjoy you before I do anything else today." His hands slipped beneath her night dress and pushed it up and then pulled it off her. Willow made quick work of his pants and stroked his length, feeling it harden beneath her touch. She moaned when she felt him enter her and her hands moved up to tangle in his hair.

"You are wonderful." He sighed, relishing the feel of her around him. He worked a hand between them and stroked her folds before pinching them as he thrust. "Tell me, pet, who do you belong to?" He pinched her again, a bit more sharply this time, knowing how far he could take it with her. She was by no means adverse to some pain with pleasure.

"You." She gasped. "Only you." Her hips met his thrust for thrust.

"Hmm, good girl love." He lightly bit on the flesh of her neck and began to suck, determined to leave a mark on her skin. The more marks proclaiming her as his the better. One of her hands joined his and began massaging his balls, making him shudder.

"Cum for me. Please." Her soft voice, panting and filled with pleasure almost brought him to the edge when combined with her hand and tight wet heat.

Loki let out a soft growl. "Not until I feel you come undone beneath me my love."

He managed to slip a finger in, causing her to buck and writhe madly in response to the unexpected addition as his other fingers still rubbed her. She cried out and moaned and he took one of her swelling breasts in his mouth and began to suck.

Another cry left her lips. "Loki!" Her walls clenched around him and he couldn't stop his own release, even if he wanted to. He spilled inside of her, letting out a yell of pleasure, before they both collapsed in a tangle of limbs, still entwined and breathing heavily.

"This is, most definitely, my favourite way to start a day." He said when they had both come down from their high. She laughed.

* * *

Willow let out a startled gasp and her husband's head shot up from his book to look at her. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Come here." She gestured.

He did and she took his hand and placed it on her stomach, to the side. He laughed when he felt it. "One of them is kicking."

Willow looked up at Loki, her eyes shining. "The other started kicking when you started talking." She placed his other hand nearer the top of her stomach. Loki knelt down in front of her, eyes focused on her stomach.

"Hello young ones. I am your father." He let out a laugh when they both kicked again in response.

"They really like you." She said, smiling and a tear escaped her. Loki reached up and brushed it away.

"You are so amazing, do you know that?" He moved up and kissed her. "You have given me more than I ever dreamt I could have."

* * *

She couldn't get comfortable. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't. The babies were very active and one, or both, were pressing somewhere on her back that was causing pain to radiate through her. She was tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep, but the twins weren't letting her. But it wasn't even that late in the day. Perhaps when Loki came back she'd be able to sleep. Recently, the babies had taken to calming down when he talked as if they were listening to him.

Sighing, Willow decided to take a walk, unable to stand being in the same rooms any longer if she couldn't sleep. She quickly dressed and walked out into the large hallway, before turning and heading vaguely in the direction of the Warrior's lounge. If she met someone on the way to talk to fine. If not, she'd most likely find someone there.

Willow turned the corner and almost ran into Jane, who was cradling a three month old Haldor. "Willow! Are you alright?"

"Not really. I can't get comfortable and I'm tired but these two won't let me sleep."

Pity spread across Jane's face. "That's always the worst. Look at it this way, it will be over soon and you'll have a different set of problems to deal with. How active are they?"

"Not all that much. It's just, either one, or both, of them are pressing somewhere on my back making the whole thing hurt."

Jane frowned and reached out with one hand to lightly grasp one of Willow's wrists. "Come on. We're going to see Eir. She'll have something for the pain."

"I don't want to bother her."

"You said you were tired? You should go see Eir. Come on."

It didn't take long for them to reach the Healing rooms and Willow received a shock at finding her Mother-in-Law there too. Frigga smiled when she saw them. "How are my three grandsons?"

"Haldor's sleeping happily. And my nephews are causing their mother some trouble." Jane answered. "It's why we're here." They had taken to referring to both babies as boys even though they weren't entirely sure yet.

"Here Princess, let me see." Eir said, coming over and placing her hands on Willow's large stomach. Willow felt her magic reaching out to test the babies. "Well, it looks like you will be staying here for a while. You are in labour."

"What?" Willow felt the breath leave her.

"Do not fret; there is nothing to worry about. Everything is going to be fine." Eir ushered her over to a bed and helped her lie down.

"Loki doesn't know."

"I'll go find him and tell him." Jane promised.

"And tell him to stay out of here, in the warrior's lounge preferably." Frigga said. "The birth of a child is no place for a man."

"He can't come and see me?"

"They didn't let Thor in when I went into labour either. You're in good hands. Relax and do everything they say and you will be fine." Jane assured. "I'll go tell him."  
She nodded and let herself be guided onto the bed and accepted the herbal mix Eir gave her. It managed to dim the pain as both older women helped her prepare for the birth.

* * *

"I thought you were taking Haldor back to our rooms Jane." Thor said placing an arm around her waist.

"I was, until I ran into Willow." She turned to look at Loki. "She's gone into labour."

Loki was moving instantly and almost at the door when Thor grabbed him and pulled him back. "You will not be allowed in there, brother. Neither Eir nor mother will allow it."

"But-"

"You will not be allowed in. Trust me. I tried to stay with Jane, but I was not allowed. You may as well sit back down, Loki. You are in for a long wait."

* * *

Willow cried out as she felt the pain increase. Her stomach was moving now and her waters had just broken. She felt Frigga run her fingers through her hair. "You are doing well, Willow. You are going to be just fine."

"When the next contraction hits, you must push." Eir said.

"I'm not ready." Willow was secretly terrified of what could happen if something went wrong. She wanted to be there to see her children grow up.

"Yes, you are," assured Eir. "The babies are ready to come. You just have to help them. I need you to push, but only when the next contraction hits, and not before."

Willow nodded and Frigga placed a hand on her stomach, her magic reaching out to the two babies. "They are both strong, I can feel it."

"What if I'm not strong enough?"

"You would not have reached this point. You are strong enough, I know it. Your actions when you were mortal proved your strength, this is just utilising it in a different way. You are their mother, and they need you now. They will always need you."

Willow didn't get the chance to respond as she felt pain wash through her again and she concentrated on trying to push her first child into the world. She slipped into a routine of pain and pushing and some relief, with time meaning very little to her, because she knew it would only make her feel as if it was drawing this out longer than it really was. But then, there was a moment of relief, followed by a cry and she gasped.

"It is a boy." Eir announced. "He is fine."

Soon, Frigga passed the child into her arms and she looked down at the small babe she had just given birth to. Willow began crying as a tumult of emotions washed through her. He already had dark hair and she could see he was the spitting image of his father.

"He's perfect." She cried, smiling through the tears.

"Yes, he is. You are doing very well." Frigga assured her. "But we do not have long, give him to me and I will place him in the crib. You have to give birth to his twin." Even as she said it, Willow could feel another contraction building. She cried out in pain once again.

* * *

Loki was on edge. Her screams had reverberated through the halls for a while now and he was desperate to go to her and help her through this.

"It's been quite for a while." Jane noticed.

"Do you think she has had them both?" Sif asked.

"It has been long enough." Jane said. "It's possible." She shifted Haldor in her arms, remembering giving birth to him. It had been agony, but it had been worth it in the end.

Not a minute later, a servant hurried into the room and bowed. "The Queen has sent me to tell you your wife has given birth, Prince Loki. Both children are healthy, and she is asking for you."

This time, no one stopped him from all but running from the room and making a bee line for the healing rooms. When he got there, he came to a stop in the door way, watching the scene in front of him. If he had thought her beautiful when pregnant, it was nothing compared to this. Willow was on a bed, smiling down at the two small babes that she held cradled in her arms, skin against skin with a light sheet pulled up over the three of them, protecting her modesty. His mother stood beside her talking quietly as Eir cleaned up. He moved into the room and Willow looked up and smiled at him and he could see she had been crying and looked ready to cry again, even though she was smiling widely.

"How are you?" He asked, coming the her side and kissing her forehead.

"Happy. Tired, but so happy."

"I am glad to hear that. And our sons?"

"Son. You have one son. And a daughter."

"One of each?" His smile became reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat.

"I will let you all have some time together and let the others know. Congratulations." Frigga kissed Willow's cheek and then Loki's, before leaving them. Eir soon left the room as well.

"Do you want to hold one of them?"

"I want to hold both of them."

"I don't want to let go of both of them yet."

"Fair enough. We should wrap them up anyway." He conjured a green blanket and Willow handed one of the twins to him and he saw immediately he was holding his daughter. He wrapped her gently in the blanket as Willow did the same for their son.

He looked down at the currently sleeping child in his arms. She was curled up and looked so small. But he could see so much of his wife in her, and some of himself too. Slowly her eyes opened and looked at him and he knew then he would do everything to protect her as he did her mother. As he would with her brother.

"She's beautiful." Willow said.

"Yes my love, she is beautiful. But only because she takes so much after you. In all my years I could have never believed that something so pure, so tender and innocent could come from me. You saved me darling, and now you've blessed me yet again with these children. I swear to every star in the nine realms that I will love and protect you all forever." He looked up from his daughter, to his wife and son, before leaning down and kissing her, and then pulling back to look at his son. His smile widened and pride washed through him. There was no arguing whose son he was, that was for sure.

"What are we going to name them?" Willow asked.

Loki sat on the edge of the bed. "How about Lilja?"

She looked up at him, tears about to escape her eyes. It was another version of her mother's name. She nodded. "I'd like that."

"And our son? I named our daughter, so you get to name our son."

"Ásvaldr." She said after a moment's thought. It meant divine strength.

"Ásvaldr," Loki said, testing it on his tongue. "I like it. Ásvaldr and Lilja." His hand cane to rest gently on top of his son's head and he smiled. Yes, definitely."

* * *

 **AN: Please Review!**


	3. A Trip Out

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A Trip Out

Willow sighed as she looked through her potions ingredients. She was almost out and would have to make a trip to the apothecary. She supposed she could order, and avoid the hassle, but going out and visiting the Alley would do her some good. She'd only really been to the ministry for quite a while, and that wasn't the most cheery of outings, even if the result was very good. She glanced up at the ceiling as if she could see through two floors to the attic, the library. It would do him good too. He had hardly been out since he had landed in the garden of her town house, battered and bruised with his lips sewn shut. Those stitches had disappeared within minutes, but it still made her stomach roll horribly at the thought of them. Yes, it would do him good to get out. He may not be overly fond of mortals, but he needed to know more about them than watching her and Hermione, and asking her questions about her people. That was, if he wanted to end this banishment of his.

With that, Willow headed upstairs and found Loki in the library, where she had known he would be, a book in his hands. "I'm heading out for Diagon Alley. Do you want to come?"

"You did not wish for me to accompany you the last time you went out."

"The last time I went out I was filing for my divorce. It's been weeks since then, and neither of us has gone further than the park and that is only at the end of the street, at which point we turn around and come right back. I think we both need to get out of here. And I need to get potions supplies, so we may as well go to Diagon."

"Then I will accompany you."

"I take it this time you won't put protection spells on me then?"

"I do not need to. I will be there with you." When she had left to go to the ministry, he had placed protection spells around her. Apparently, because she had taken him in, and he had to remain with her, or lose his magic, she was now under his protection. If they were apart for more than forty eight hours, his magic would apparently be stripped from him. He obviously did not want that.

"Come on then. It's not too far to Charing Cross Road. We'll walk." The two were soon walking down the streets of London until they reached the Leaky Cauldron. She saw him raise an unimpressed eyebrow at the sight of the dingy pub. "Don't worry, that's just the way to get to the entrance from the non-magical world. The actual Alley is far more impressive."

He said nothing, obviously reserving his judgement. She withheld the sigh. She knew he wanted this banishment to be over, but he was hardly receptive to doing what he would need to in order to end it. Understanding and accepting her and other mortals required an open mind. Unfortunately, Loki had made his mind up on them years ago and thought what he knew about them was all there was to know. It was frustratingly like the pureblood elitist views on muggles. She had her work cut out for her here. And she had to get him to realise the truth about mortals or she would be stuck with an angry god with a chip on his shoulder for the rest of her life.

Willow led him through the pub, ignoring the stares and whispers, her head held high as she walked, only giving brief smiles to those she recognised. They entered the tiny courtyard and as the door closed behind them, Willow whipped out her wand and tapped one of the bricks on the wall, causing it to wriggle, before sliding away, an action which caused the other bricks to shift away, creating an archway into the bright, busy, shopping centre. He did not know quite what he had been expecting, but this was not it. Magic thrummed through the whole area. It was far younger than what existed in Asgard, but the area was saturated in it, and it made him feel more at home on this realm than anywhere else he had ever visited.

They walked past many people, all going about their daily lives, until they got to the apothecary. The dark room stunk, but that was something that never changed, no matter what apothecary he went into. There were just too many conflicting herbs and ingredients to allow for any sort of pleasant odour. A man immediately ran out from behind the desk. "Lady Potter! What an honour! How can I help you today?"

"I need to restock general household potion ingredients. Also ingredients for more serious healing potions. I am thinking of restarting my schooling as a healer."

"Of course of course! I will get everything you need together!" He said, rushing back behind his counter and grabbing containers, all of which contained a stasis charm, before he began moving quickly round his store, filling them with the needed ingredients. He then placed them all on the counter, where Willow began placing them in her bag which contained an undetectable extension charm.

"How much?" She asked, pulling out her purse and Gringotts card.

"Twenty Galleons," he said.

Loki was startled. That was unbelievably cheap. Willow shook her head. "Mr Hipotecarium, I cannot cheat you out of that much money. These ingredients are worth far more than that! Sixty Galleons."

"Thirty," he replied. "If it was not for you I would not have this business- I would not have a life, the Death Eaters would have seen to that, seeing as my mother was muggle. I owe you. We all do."

"And you need to be able to keep this business open. Where else would I get my ingredients? I will pay the full sixty. Or I will simply go to Gringotts and have the money transferred to your account with the strict instructions that you are not allowed to put it back into my account."

He sighed. "Sixty Galleons then," He nodded, taking the card.

Loki was observing her intently. Who was this mortal that she would not snap such a money saving deal out of the shopkeeper's hands? That she seemed to be so revered by this man and so many others? He had seen the way people had looked at her, full of hero worship and admiration. There was an almost fanatical light in their eyes. The people here would do just about anything for her.

Willow paid for her items and turned to look at him. "Come on, I know a shop you might just enjoy."

"Oh?" He asked. What would that be? Loki followed her out of the shop and down the street to the brightest shop there. It was orange, and the roof had the bust of a man whose arm was constantly pulling a hat up and down off his head and making the rabbit on his head appear and disappear. They stepped inside and the tone of the magic changed. To chaos magic. He could not help the grin that grew on his face. This was his element. This was what his magic new best.

"Weasley Wizard Wheezes. The best magical joke shop in the country," Willow told him, looking up at him. "I thought, as God of Mischief, this might be something you'd appreciate. A friend of mine owns the store, so take as long as you want to look around, I can always pass time talking with George."

He grinned at her, noting the mischievous glint in her eyes. It was only now that he realised, despite her past, she may just enjoy a spot of mischief herself.

"Friends with a prankster? I never would have guessed."

"Not just friends with one. He and his twin took inspiration from four others from a previous generation- the best Hogwarts ever saw. Two of whom happened to be my father and Godfather. Now, go enjoy yourself. If you want anything just pick it up. I get a discount here."

"You did not take it in the last shop," he pointed out.

"I had not given the Apothecary its start-up grant," she said. "I helped fund this place. Now, I'm going to find George. See you later." With that, she walked off, leaving him to his own devices- probably not the best of things to do when it came to the God of Mischief in a joke shop. He had a pile of items in a basket when he heard the shouting.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing here after what you did? You have some nerve!" An angry voice reached him. Curious, he looked round the shelves and saw a lanky red haired mortal glaring angrily at Willow. His eyes narrowed as he took in the scene. She was clearly, at least to him, terrified, eyes flicking to the door as if contemplating running, face pale. However, her face was otherwise expressionless and if someone did not know her well enough, they would think she was naturally that pale.

"I'm visiting a friend, Ronald. And introducing another to this shop. I thought he'd enjoy it."

"HE?! You're already seeing someone? We've only just divorced! You come to rub it in, is that it?" The mortal, Ronald, looked ready to lash out.

Loki stepped towards them quickly. "That is enough," he said quietly, but his voice carried, and it drew their attention to him. "You will leave Lady Potter alone boy."

"You stay out of this, it's none of your business," Ron snarled.

"On the contrary, she has been kind enough to provide me with lodgings these past few weeks. In return, I will ensure her safety. I warn you not to take this any further."

"This is him is it?" He turned back to Willow, hands balling into fists.

"Ron, he has nowhere else to go right now, he's just staying with me. And even if it was more than that, it would be none of your business, we are divorced, after all. Just like you said. If it makes you feel better go find a new girlfriend. I'm sure there's plenty of women out there who'd like the chance to be with one of the Heroes of Hogwarts."

This seemed to be the wrong thing to say however, as Ron's arm lifted, ready to strike. Before Loki or Willow could do anything however, another hand grabbed Ron's raised wrist, keeping him from throwing the intended punch. "Now, now brother dear. I won't have you hitting my friends in my shop," another red head, this one taller and missing an ear, said, cool and calm. "Perhaps you should go home, cool off. Or go and see mum. She was complaining the other day you hadn't been to visit. So, when I release your wrist, you're going to lower your arm and leave, or I am going to use you as a test subject for a few of my newer inventions."

When his hand was released, Ron stormed off after sending parting glares at Willow and Loki. "Sorry about that," the other red head told them. "My youngest brother has quite the temper. It has not gotten better since he lost his job, I'm afraid."

"Thanks for that, George," Willow said, regaining a little of her colour and becoming less tense.

"No problem. So, this him then?" He asked, looking at Loki.

"Ah yes, George this is Loki, Loki, this is George Weasley, owner of the shop," Willow introduced.

George held out his hand and Loki shook it. "An honour to meet you. It's not every day the god of mischief walks into your shop."

"I've just been admiring some of your items," Loki replied, holding up the basket. "Very good craftsmanship, I must say."

"Some of them are my wife's design. Hermione is wicked smart, no matter what she turns her mind to. The most are from ideas my twin, Fred, and I came up with when we were in school though."

The crack in the voice, the slight wince, it all told Loki one thing. Fred Weasley was dead. Instead of bringing that up, he moved on slightly. "Well they are ingenious. And for you to have come up with them at such a young age is highly commendable."

"Thanks!" The grin said not lingering on the topic had been the best way to go.

Willow could barely hold the smile. Introducing Loki to Weasley Wizards Wheezes had been a good idea then. Perhaps this was the chink in the armour she needed to get him to see her world in a better light.

* * *

 **A/N: Please Review!**


	4. To Hogwarts

**To Hogwarts.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Like Diagon Alley, Hogwarts School and the land it was surrounded by was saturated in magic, and this was older than that of the shopping alley. But, still not as old as what could be found in other realms. It had been over a month since their first trip to the Alley, but Loki had found he enjoyed going there and now wanted to explore more places within the wizarding world. So, Willow obliged and brought him to Hogwarts. She had been asked to speak at the memorial service later this evening, at sundown, but for now she could show him around the first place she ever called home. He was becoming far more receptive to the idea that mortals weren't all pathetically weak in the face of such a strong magical community. He seemed fond of the idea.

Looking around the grounds as they headed up to the large, and quite frankly beautiful, castle, Loki noticed something by the lake. It was a tall, large white pillar, almost rounded in shape and it tapered off towards the top. It looked suspiciously like the wands he had seen Willow and the other mortal magic casters use to perform magic. He could see there were markings covering it, but he could not, from this distance, make out what they were. "What is that?" He asked her.

Willow looked round, and saw what he was indicating to. Sadness crept over her face. "It's a war memorial. I'll explain more later. It's actually related to why we're here today."

He nodded, satisfied she would give him the full explanation soon and they resumed their walk. They had gotten closer lately, both of them telling each other bits and pieces about their lives. He knew that people held her in high esteem, and had assumed it was because of her position as Lady Potter. She had certainly brushed it off as that. But, with her reaction to the war memorial and some of the things he had heard around, he thought now it was a bit more than that.

Willow led the way into the castle and the great hall, dreading the coming evening. The speech she had been asked to make at the service would have been hard enough, with people who already knew about the full story. But now she knew she would have to tell Loki everything too. She had known it when she had asked him to come to Hogwarts. There was no point hiding the war any longer. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Loki raise an eyebrow at the ceiling of the Great Hall. She had learnt enough that she knew he was impressed with the enchantment. And then he took note of the people. Lunch had just started, and the hall was filled with students. His eyes widened slightly at this sight. She was sure that he was not expecting so many students. Magic did not seem to be a particularly favoured art within his home realm, filled with warriors as it was.

Professor McGonagall, now Headmistress, came to greet them. Willow hugged her in greeting. "It's good to see you headmistress," she said.

"You as well, Lady Potter. Who is your friend?"

"This is Loki. Loki, this is Minerva McGonagall, headmistress of Hogwarts."

"A pleasure to meet you, Madam," Loki said, smile all charm. Willow resisted rolling her eyes. She had long since figured out he had the ability to wrap most anyone around his little finger with a few words and a smile.

"It is good to have you here today. Have either of you had lunch yet?"

"No, we haven't," Willow said, noticing McGonagall's warm smile at the dark haired man. "I thought we could eat here, and then I could show Loki some of the school before dinner, and the service."

"Of course! Come, the elves will already have sent some plates up, no doubt." Lunch was spent talking with the Professors, who were more than happy to explain their subjects, and what they offered to the students, to Loki. He found himself enjoying himself immensely.

After lunch, Willow began showing him round, the library, the room of requirements, Gryffindor house. Finally she led him down to the chamber of secrets. The skeleton of the basilisk was still there.

"What was a basilisk doing here?"

"One of the four founders, Salazar Slytherin, placed her here. Only his descendants could wake and control her. When he was a student here, a boy called Tom Riddle used her to begin attacking non-purebloods. Most victims were petrified. Only one died. He framed Hagrid, who you met. Later, that boy went on to become a Dark Lord called Voldemort. He started a war. He and his followers, Death Eaters, all believed in pureblood supremacy. And they were winning the war. But then a prophecy was made, detailing the one able to defeat him. There were two children who fit the bill. When I was a year old, he came to our home, personally. I read my mums diary recently. She was pregnant when he killed her. My dad held him off for as long as he could, but he had been marked for death. No one survived that. Not until me at least. He turned his wand on me when they were dead. But his curse rebounded, leaving me with this scar," she indicated to her forehead. Then she went into detail on the rest of the war, and everything linked to it.

"That is why these people hold such reverence for you," he murmured, watching her with newfound respect. Perhaps he wasn't just dropped onto Midgard randomly, but sent to someone who could actually stand up to him if needed. He was sure now that Odin had chosen her to watch him. Not just had him cast to earth. She was a warrior, but one of magic.

"Since beating him yeah. Beforehand, public opinion vacillated. I was either a spoilt attention seeking brat or the golden child. Right now I'm the saviour, the one responsible for peace. But how long that will last now, I don't know."

"Now?"

"I married Ron because it was expected of me. Join a good family, settle down. Tie myself completely to the wizarding world. Now I've divorced Ron, who is another hero in their eyes, and I haven't even got an heir for the Potter name. They will not be patient with me for long."

"What do you owe them anymore? You deserve your life to be your own."

She smiled. "It's not so easy. Everyone seems to believe they have a right to poke their nose into my life."

"Then do not let them. If opinion turns again hold your head up high and stand proud. You are worth far more than their opinions."

She smiled at him slightly. It seemed she'd earned a steadfast ally in him, against the wizarding world and their biases.

* * *

 **A/N: Please Review!**


	5. The Beginning

**The Beginning.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Willow Potter sat tensely in her seat as she watched him work himself into a rage. His temper had only grown since their school days together, and now she was ashamed to admit that she was rather afraid of him. Ron Weasley had been her first friend. Her first crush. He had fought beside her during the war with Voldemort, and afterwards, when there had been immense pressure on her from the public to see her tie herself to the wizarding world further, she had turned to him for reassurance. Ron was familiar, safe. Or at least, he had been. They had dated until she was nineteen, and then he had proposed. Then, when she was twenty, they had married. The wedding had been huge, with all the Weasleys, her high school friends, important members of government and of course, the nobility of the wizarding world that weren't in jail for being Death Eaters, seeing as she was the head of two Ancient and Noble houses and the descendent of Merlin and Morgana. And she had regretted every moment of it through the whole thing. She had known, even then, that it was a mistake, but she couldn't bring herself to say no. She had thought she would at least have her job to retreat to. She had been a year from completing her training as a healer, when they had married, but afterwards, Ron had forced her to give her career up. She should have known he would want a house wife. He, of course, had gotten a job as an Auror and progressed quickly through the ranks due to his participation in the war. The only professional stance she had was her place as head of the Potter and Black families and the heir of Merlin and Morgana on the Wizengamot.

She hadn't wanted children yet, she wasn't ready, so, in secret, she had used contraceptive charms and potions, to wait until she was ready. A year after being married, Ron had begun getting angry. He would lash out at anything and everything. Including her. At first, she was just subjected to his rants, but then, it escalated. She slowly raised her hand and touched her cheek. Some bruise paste later would take care of the quickly forming bruise there. He had come home in an awful mood and hit out at her. He had then gone into a long rant. She was sure that the bruise on her cheek wouldn't be the only bruise she had later.

"Are you even listening to me?" Ron demanded angrily.

"Of course I am! And you're absolutely right. It was completely wrong of Kingsley to give the case to Perkins. You are after all Head Auror, and you did make a massive contribution to the war. A case this big should have been given straight to you, dear. Especially if the minister himself requested it be done." She hated sucking up. She knew Kingsley wouldn't have requested Perkins if he didn't have a reason. But, she knew that if she made out like she was fully on his side, he was liable to calm down somewhat.

"Exactly!" He threw his arms up into the air in frustration and then went to the drinks cabinet and poured himself a drink of fire whiskey. She held back the flinch. This wasn't good.

So, she stood. "I'll go put dinner on. Steak alright tonight?"

He nodded, so she made a quick exit. A little while later, they were eating their food and Willow was doing her best to make herself as small as possible. He was already half drunk. When they had finished, Willow went to clear the table, but Ron grabbed her wrist.

"Leave it. Come 'ere." He pulled her onto his lap.

"Ron, you're drunk." Willow said, trying to push him away.

His grip tightened. "You're my wife, and you'll do what I say."

"Ron, you're hurting me." She said, trying to pull away from him. His hands grasped her upper arms and he snarled. She could smell the large amount of alcohol on his breath. He roughly pushed her against the table before pinning her hands together and grabbing her wand, and throwing it away from him. Something inside of her snapped then, and she lashed out. Her foot came up and connected with his balls, and he let her go, and fell back, clutching his balls, assuming the foetal position on the floor. Willow ran for her wand and grabbed it, before stunning him. It had been three years of hell, and four years of regretting her decision, and now she was finally doing something about it. She didn't know why she hadn't done something before, but now she was. And that was what mattered.

Willow ran to her and Ron's bedroom and grabbed a bag that had an undetectable extension charm placed on it. With a flick of her wand, she had all her belongings flying inside, packing themselves neatly. When all her things were inside, she opened the bedroom door carefully. She could hear Ron snoring under the stunner, so she stepped out, grabbed her keys and fled the large apartment they lived in.

She apparated onto the steps of Gringotts and pulled her cloak hood up. She hoped the house was ready. She had been doing up one of the Potter houses in London as an anniversary present to Ron. He had started getting a little suspicious of her not getting pregnant yet, so she had paid her estate manager to have it done up so it was modern, yet connected to the wizarding world. The townhouse was large, and had a nice, spacious garden, and she was going to use the excuse of moving in as planning ahead for when they finally managed to have kids. The house was large enough to raise a family, after all. It was three stories tall, plus an attic. Apparently, the attic and the third floor were all part of a library now, and the middle floor had four bedrooms, two of which were en-suite, while the other two shared a bathroom. There was also a storage room on that floor. Then, the ground floor had a large living room, dining room, kitchen and pantry and there was a large pool in the conservatory.

Willow walked into Gringotts and asked a teller to see Eargit. She was quickly led to his office, and only when it was just her and the ageing goblin did she lower her hood. The goblin's eyebrows rose at the sight of the bruise.

"Lady Potter-Black, may I ask what has brought you here this late, and in such a state?" Eargit asked.

"Is the house ready, Eargit?"

"It is. I was actually about to send you a letter."

"May I have the keys? And, do not tell my husband where to find me. I need to be away from him."

"Do you wish for a divorce? I can have the papers drawn up."

The insightful goblin had read into the one bruise and drawn the correct conclusion. This had been going on for a while. She hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes. Yes I would very much appreciate it. Thank you Eargit."

"It is no problem, Lady Potter-Black." He said, and he handed over the keys to the house. "Rest assured I will handle all the necessary transactions and have the papers ready for you soon."

She nodded and stood. They said their goodbyes and left the office and then the bank, pulling her hood back up as she went. When she was outside the bank wards, she turned on her heel and apparated away and reappeared in the street the town house was located in.

Willow hadn't bothered with anything when she had let herself into the house, she had just gone to her room which was in blues and gold's, with a large black leather bed with dark blue silk sheets and a blue and gold comforter, and taken her cloak and shoes off and fallen onto the bed and fallen asleep. So, when she was woken up by a loud howling wind several hours later, she was completely surprised. She ran from the room and ran downstairs, following something that was tugging at her gut. She headed through the house, and then through the conservatory, walking around the pool, just as a massive funnel landed in her large back garden. She stopped and watched in awe as it swirled for about a minute in one place, and then just stopped and cleared. She gasped when she saw someone lying on the ground, motionless.

She ran outside, and saw it was a man. His face was pale, angular. His hair was inky black and slicked backwards, and spiked out at the ends. What drew another gasp from her; however, were the stitches that sewed his mouth shut. He began to stir, and open his eyes, and as she watched, stunned, the stitches began to clear away. She snapped out of it, and knelt down beside him. Willow placed a hand on his cheek and his green eyes opened and met hers. She could see the dazed and confused look in his eyes.

"Sir, can you hear me? Are you alright?" She asked. Then she shook her head. "What am I saying? Of course you're not alright. You fell from the sky and a minute ago had stiches sewing your mouth shut. Hold on, I'm going to get you to a hospital."

"No… hospitals." He gasped out.

"You really need one."

"No." He said, a little more forcefully.

"May as well get you inside, at least, then, if you won't let me take you to a hospital." Willow said. "I'll be able to support you inside, if you're up for trying to stand."

He tried to get up himself, but his arms shook so she grabbed one of his arms and pulled him up. He leant on her heavily and she wrapped her arm round his waist. He was very tall; the top of her head would come to rest just under his chin if he stood straight. They made their way back to the house, but their progress was slow going. Especially when she had to help him up the stairs. She knew it was awful of her to be thankful, but she really was thankful that he was so thin. He must have had those stitches in for a while, because he seemed to have not eaten in a while.

Willow supported him upstairs and into the green bedroom. It was the other one with the en-suite. She got him to the bed, and he collapsed onto it, a moan leaving him, and his eyes closing. His breathing began to even out and become deeper. She pulled out her wand and ran a couple of diagnostic spells. He was alright, just exhausted and malnourished. She put her wand back in its holster, and turned to leave. A vice like grip caught her wrist and she turned to face the man on the bed.

"You- have… magic." He rasped out.

She nodded. "Yes." She knelt down beside the bed, so they could be at eye level with each other.

"Your name, mortal."

Well, that was a strange way to address someone, but he had just fallen from the sky and he was exhausted. He may have been delusional. "Willow Weasley." That was always the way she introduced herself when she wasn't conducting formal business that required her to be Lady Potter-Black. "Who are you?"

"Loki." His eyes closed again, and his hand released her and fell limply to his side.

"As in the Norse God?" She whispered to herself. He was out of it, so she didn't expect an answer. So, she stood, turned and left the room.

* * *

Loki groaned as he began to come round. The first thing he realised was that the stitches were gone. Then he realised why. He had been banished. Odin had allowed him to keep his powers, stating that he couldn't use them to try a repeat of his failed takeover of Midgard, or to leave Midgard, or his powers would leave him. Well, he was a bit more restricted than that, he wasn't allowed to leave the first Midgardian to find him for more than forty eight hours at a time. Odin had given him a choice. Banishment to Midgard, with those restrictions, or remaining in a cell in Asgard with the stitches in place. The latter was humiliating. The wordsmith rendered speechless. But the first… he would have to live among mortals for the Norns knew how long. That in itself was something he couldn't stand. But… he would have his powers. They were so easy to manipulate. He could easily talk the one who found him into making his stay bearable at the least. So, until his punishment was over, he was sure he would be able to at least live comfortably. Especially if his memory of the last night was correct and she was a magic user.

He could barely remember her. He hadn't gotten a very good look at her, everything had been rather blurred, but he could remember green eyes and black hair. It was her eyes that he remembered the most vividly, though. The warm forest green that seemed so welcoming, yet so full of pain. Willow Weasley, he thought she had said her name had been. He heard a door open and he opened his eyes. Her skin was creamy, with a pink tint to her cheeks, well, from what he could see. Her dark curls fell in front of one side of her face, hiding it from view. The one eye that wasn't hidden was, as he thought, forest green. She smiled brightly when she saw he was awake.

"Oh good, I won't have to place a warming charm on the soup to keep it warm until you wake up." She said.

It was then that he noticed the silver tray she was carrying. He sat up. "Where am I?" He asked.

"London." She said.

"I am not familiar with that name. Where on Midgard is that?"

"Midgard? Isn't that what the world is referred to in the Norse Myths?" She placed the tray down on the bed side table next to his side of the large bed.

He nodded. "But it isn't myth. It is real."

"Are you trying to tell me you are the real god of mischief and lies?" She asked.

"I am the very same."

"Well, that might explain the stitches; didn't that happen to you already in the myths?"

"Once before. You still have not answered my question."

"London is the capitol city of England, which is part of Great Britain." She said. "I've only brought you soup and some bread. You're severely malnourished; I didn't want to try you on anything heavier. Seeing as you didn't want to go to the hospital, you will have to make do with my incomplete healing skills. If you feel up to something more, I can make you something else to eat later. My cooking skills are not something that is lacking, that I can assure you."

She moved a couple of things around on the tray before picking it back up and handing it to him. The aroma that wafted up his nostrils was mouth-watering, he had to admit. And he was hungry. He hadn't eaten since before he had opened the portal to New York. And that had been weeks ago.

"I'll leave you to it. If you feel up to walking, you can come downstairs. If you aren't down in half an hour, I'll come and check on you."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Weasley." He said. He was nothing if not polite. His mother had, after all, drilled impeccable manners into him. And if he was to keep his magic, he would have to stay around this mortal for a while. Being cordial would make it go a lot easier.

"Mrs."

"Pardon?" He said.

"Mrs Weasley. Not Miss."

"And, pray tell, does your husband know you're in a room with a strange man, un-chaperoned?"

"He doesn't control my life. Now eat your food." She said, suddenly turning frosty. "I'll be downstairs." She turned, and left the room, closing the door behind her. Well, this most certainly would be interesting.

* * *

Willow couldn't believe herself. Why hadn't she just introduced herself as Willow Potter and avoided the sore spot? Now, she may very well have insulted a Norse God. Yes, she believed him. The wizarding world did believe the Norse God's existed, and she could feel the power coming from him. It was like nothing anyone else had ever commanded. Not even any of the strongest witches and wizards she had met.

She should really have told him her name was Willow Potter. She was divorcing Ron, after all. It wouldn't be too hard to keep him in the dark from that, would it? But no, she had messed up.

"Well done Willow, really well played. Now, where's that bruise paste?" It was then that she remembered that she had no bruise paste. She would have to make some more. She had all the ingredients and had the fire under the cauldron to the right temperature, when she heard Loki walk into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?"

"Making bruise paste."

"Why?"

"For bruises."

"Look at me." He said. She could hear the command in his tone. He was obviously used to getting his way.

"You know, you aren't on Asgard anymore. You don't get to order people about." She said, not looking up.

She felt him beside her suddenly and jumped back, looking up, startled. He took the opportunity and raised his hand. She flinched but all he did was brush her hair away from her face, revealing the bruise.

Loki stilled. She had flinched when he'd raised his hand as if expecting a blow to come, and then, there was the large, ugly bruise, covering a large portion of her cheek. She was abused regularly, if her reaction was anything to go by. His eyes narrowed. Oh this would not do. If he was to keep his magic, he had to keep her on side so she wouldn't chuck him out, or run (it wasn't as if she could force him to leave, after all). She was under his protection now. His magic had come back to him now he had eaten and rested and his fingers touched the bruise.

Willow started when she felt warmth trickle from his fingers into her cheek, and the throbbing pain from the bruise disappeared. "W-why did you do that?"

"While I am here, you will be under my protection." He said, simply.

"I'm not sure if you noticed, but I found you in my back garden in quite a state. Are you sure you're up to protecting anyone?"

"I am quite recovered now, thanks to you. But I will be here for a while. In return for your hospitality, I shall ensure you do not come to harm, my Lady."

"If you're recovered, then what's stopping you from leaving?"

"Who says anything is stopping me?"

"Go on then, leave. And don't come back. If nothing's stopping you, then walk out." There was a moments silence while they both just watched each other. "I thought so." She said, finally. "There's something stopping you from leaving."

"I am merely restricted from being too far from the first Midgardian to find me upon my arrival for more than forty eight hours." He said finally.

"So, because I was the first to find you, you have to stay close to me? If you left, you would have to return within two days?"

"Correct."

"What would happen if you didn't? And, why the restrictions anyway?"

"I do believe your cauldron is beginning to boil over."

She spun to the cauldron and swore. The ingredients that were already inside were causing the mix to froth and boil over in the heat because she had left it unattended. Wait… she hadn't put any ingredients in. She put out the flames and cooled the cauldron with two quick spells, before looking up to Loki only to find he was gone. Straining to hear, she finally picked up movement in the living room. She knew he had been the cause of the cauldron boiling over. He obviously didn't want to answer those questions. Whatever it was, she was sure something bad would happen to him if he didn't stay. Sighing, and raising her hand to her cheek to where the bruise had been several seconds ago, she closed her eyes. Loki had declared she was under his protection for as long as he stayed with her. With Ron and his temper, that wouldn't be so bad in the coming days, would it? When she made it known she wanted a divorce, Ron would probably find her like a bludger found a player in a Quidditch game. She walked into the living room, and found Loki looking around.

"How long have you lived here? The room is awfully plain for someone's home."

"Actually, I just moved in last night."

He must have caught something in her tone. He looked at her curiously. "Just you?"

She nodded. "Yes, why?"

"Where is your husband?"

"Back in the apartment where I left him, probably. I have a powerful stunner."

Loki's head tilted to the side slightly as he observed her. "So it was him." He mused to himself. "Your husband was the one to strike you."

"I would prefer it if we could avoid this topic please." She said, stiffly. "But, if you'll be staying here, I may as well show you around."

He nodded and she headed out of the room, showing him around the ground floor and then the second floor. Finally, she reached the stairs leading to the library.

"Now, if this has been done right, if you can't seem to find me, I'll be up here." She said, before leading the way up. The library was huge, and there was a nice red wood staircase leading up to the second level of it, and a rail of the same wood around the second level, to stop someone falling over the edge. The shelves were already stacked with books and there was a large fireplace. With a click of her fingers a warm fire began in the centre of it. There were several areas that had comfortable places to sit, armchairs, sofas, even a couple of beanbags. There was also a table that could comfortably sit four working people.

"As to what you said earlier, the same will apply to me." Loki said, looking around the library appreciatively.

Willow smiled. "I take it you're a book lover too then? I think we'll get on just fine."

* * *

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